Synopsis "Class and Ethnicity in Zambian Politics"
The central argument of this book is that the political competition by the members of the petty bourgeoisie from different ethnic groups rather than ethnicity has been the most defining factor in Zambian politics. The book shows this by tracing the intersection between class and ethnicity in the evolution of Zambian politics from the time the country was incorporated into the capitalist economy as a British colonial period to date. The members of the petty bourgeoisie, as the class that led the struggle for political independence, have continued to exercise political dominance in the country. As they competed among themselves, they mobilised members of other social classes within their respective ethnic groups, notably the peasantry, the working class and the déclassé, and in this way, the struggle for political dominance by members of the petty bourgeoisie from different ethnic groups acquires some semblance of a struggle for ethnic dominance. There have been historical moments when the hegemonic role of the petty bourgeoisie toward other social classes within their respective ethnic groups has been challenged. During moments of such challenges, the façade of ethnicity as a political force in the country's politics has been evident. Read more